Air cleaner



Sept 2, 193 0,

Q P. BRQCKWAY 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 2, 1930. c. P. 'BROCKWAY AIR CLEANER I Filed Sept. 9, l920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 P c. P. BROCKWAY 1,774,588

AIR CLEANER Filed Sept. 9, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 w 7 Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARL r. nnoexway, or motnno, 'onro, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To run TILLOTBON uanuracrumne con rary, or TOLEDO, onro, ,A CORPORATION or nit-Lawsuit ,AIR CLEANER A lication filed September 9, 1920. Serial No. 409,193.

My invention relates tothe improyement of air cleaners or purifiers especially those such as are employed for cleaning air used in.

internal combustion engines, and has ,for its object to provide a cleaner whereiumeans are provided for causin solid or liquid impurities to be separated from the air by'centrifugal force andto pass into dead air chambers wherein such particles gravitate to the bottom thereof, and means for removing such accumulation of dirt. I

' It is an especial object of my invention to provide a cylindrical casin with means therein to'cause the entering air to circulate 16 so that allheavyparticles are thrown out A further object/0 I11 invention is to provide an air cleaner utilizing the higher.

specific gravity of the impurities to se arate them from the pure air which is more e cient than those heretofore used.

A further object is to provide. an efiicient air cleaner which is of simple, light, and cheap construction.

These and other objects will appear as I proceed with a detailed description of the construction and operation of thosejspecificembodiments of my invention which I have illustrated in the accompany drawings where- 1n:

Figure 1. is a vertical section of one form of my improved air cleaner.

ure--7.

therewith anannular passage 14 as, shown Lin Figure 2. The cylinder 10 has an opening Figure 2 is a s'ection on the line 2-2 of Figure 8 is a section on line 8- -8 of Fig- Figure 9'is a section-on line 9- 9 of Figure-7. 1 Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. o

In Figures 1 and 2,-1 represents the outer cylindrical casing of the air cleaner, having an air inlet opening 2 in its bottom. 3 is an inner cylindrical casing concentric with the outer casing 1 and forming therewith an annular space which is divided up into a plu- 30 'rality of chambers 4 bythe radial partitions 5 which are attached to the inner surface of o the outer. casing 1 and form substantially air tightconnections with the-bottom 7 and abut the top 8 of the outer casing 1. The radial partition, 9 adjacent the air inlet opening 2 extends through a slot 13 in the inner casing 3 and is shaped into a cylinder 10 concentric with the inner casing 3and forming 12'therein adjacent the partition 9 and on the opposite side thereof from the air inlet 13.

Thus the air upon entering at 2 passes to the passage 14 through the opening 13 and is required to travel a complete revolution before entering the opening 12. A series of slots 6 are cut in the casing 3, preferably just beyond each of the partitions 5, forn1in an opening into each of the chambers 4. Cyl- '80 inder '10 is provided with an outlet pipe 16 rigidly attached to the top 8, and leads to the air intake of the carburetor, or other device to which cleaned air is desired to be supplied.

The bottom 18 of the inner casing 3 is set up inside the cylindersubstantially' flush wit the bottom of the slots 6, thus forming dead air pockets 19'within"= the lower part of each of the chambers'4. The-casing 1 fitssnugly' within a depending flange on the top 8 and is held tightly up against the topby means of, two or more spring fasteners 17 which catch over the projecting rini of-top 8 as shown in Figure 1. 1

Now when air is drawn up through the inlet 2 itpasses through opening 13 and is then whirled around the annular passage 14 through opening 12 into chamber 15 within cylinder 10; and thence out through outlet 16. In its rapid passage through 14 all solid or liquid impurities such as dust, dirt or unvaporized water are hurled by centrifugal force against the inner surface of casing 3 and flow along said surface until they reach one of the slots '6, and then through slots 6 the dead air spaces 19. i

When it is desiredto empty'the accumu'' lated dirt from pockets 19, the entire unitary structure below top 8 is removed by releasing thespring catches 17 and the dirt can then be poured out.

In the modification of Figures 3, 4, and 5 the air enters through the inlet 2 and passes upward and above the conical member 3' through the opening 13 in said conical member. The space between the outercasing 1 and the bottom of the inner casing 10 and the lower surface of the conical member 3 is divided into a plurality of chambers 4 by the radial partitions 5. A slot 6 through conical member 3 communicates with each of the chambers fl adjacent the partition 5 which is on the near side in the direction of air travel. This structure permits relatively larger dead air pockets 19 below the level of the slots 6 in which the solid particles may settle out after such paiticles'with a small amount of air have passed through the separating slots 6. The incoming air through opening 13 is compelled to travel a complete revolution through passagel l before entering 12 by partition 9 which extends all the way through passage 14 to the top 8'.

In the modificationsshown in Figures 6, 7, 8, and9 the air enters through an opening 2" near the top 8 of the cylindrical casing 1 and is compelled by partition 9" ,to travel completelyaround the inner cylinder 10 before entering opening 12". The openings 6" in the conical member 3 are shown as formed' by slots cut in the member 3" and the lips turned downward as clearly shown in Figures 7 and 8. However, these slots may beotherwise formed, for instance, the lips may be attached to the opposite edge from that shown and bent upward so as to act as skimmers for deflecting the outermost layer of the dust laden air down into the pockets 4"; or they may be simple rectangular slots as shown in the other modifications. After'the air enters opening 12" it still retains its whirling motion imparted to it in the passage 14" and it therefore sweeps with a spiral motion around the cone 20 up into the outlet 16". Cone 20 is fixed within the cylinder 10 by means of clips 21 and its base is of slightl smaller diameter than the cylinder 10", thus forming a narrow opening 22 between the space 24 above the cone and the dead air pocket 23. A further separation of the dirt particles which may have escaped entering the slots 6" takes place 'as the air splrals about the passage 24= and the dirt falls by gravity down through the openlng 22 into' the deadairpocket 23. By this combination a Inuchmore-eflicient separation is obtained than by a centrifugal separator with lateral slots or a cone shaped gravity separator alone. In this modification the collected dirt is emptied-by removing the detaclfable bottoni- 26. The bottom 26 has an upturned flange which fits snugly over casing 1" and may be held in position by spring catches 27. While I have described my invention in detail andas being embodied in certain forms, I do ,pot desire or intend to be limited thereto, as it is obvious that the same maybe varied without departing from the scope of the I claim as my invention:

1. In an air cleaner, of the character de scribed, a chamber'ha'ving'an air inlet and outlet, means for giving the air a rotary moinvention as defined in the appended claims.

tion within said chamber, a plurality of dead air pockets arranged upon the periphery of said chamber, having openings through the wall between said'chamber and pockets whereby solid or liquid particles are separated from the air by centrifugal force, the length of said pockets being greater than that of the chamber and said openings extending to the base of the chamber, and said pockets extending below said chamber.

2. In an air cleaner, a chamber having an air inlet and outlet, means for giving the air a rotating motion within-said chamber, a plurality of dead'air pockets arranged about the periphery-of said chamber, each of said pockets having an inlet opening but no outlet opening whereby solid or liquid particles are separated from the air by centrifu al force and settle out in said dead air poc liets', the

length of said pockets being greater than that" of the chamber and said openings extending to the base vof the chamber, and said pockets extending below said chamber.

3. -An airv cleaner comprising a chamber having an air inlet, means for rapidl rotating the air'within said chamber, a p urality of dead air pocketshaving inlet openin s arranged substantially in. the periphery 0 said chamber, a second chamber having a conical bafile therein having'itslower edge spaced fr om the walls of said second chamber to form an annular slot through which impurities inithe air gravitate, a dead air pocket under saidslot to receive the impurities, and means for passing the air through the first chamber and then through the second cham ber, whereby'the separation isrobtained by 1 centrifugal force in the first chamber and by gravity in the second chamber.

4. An air cleaner comprising a chamber Inn having an inverted cone shaped bottom,

means for rapidly rotating the air within said chamber, a plurality of dead air pockets having single inlet openings in the path of said rotating air arranged in said cone shaped bottom, whereby solid or liquid particles are separated from the air within said chamber both bycentrifug'alforce vand by gravity.

5. In an air chamber of the character 'de scribed, a chamber having an air inlet and outlet, means for giving the air a rotary motion within said chamber, and a plurality of dead air pockets arranged upon the periphcry of said chamber, having openings through the wall between said chamber and pockets extending approximately the full length thereof whereby solid or liquid particles are separatedfrom the air by centrifugal force, said openings being positioned adjacent that side of the pocket first reached by the air in its rotary movement, said pockets having a length greater than the length of the chamber.

1 6. In an air cleaner, a chamber having an air inlet and outlet, means for giving the air a a rotating motion within said chamber, aplurality of dead air pockets arranged about the periphery of said chamber, each of said pockets having aninlet opening extending approximately the full length of the wall between the chamber and the pockets but no outlet opening whereby solid or liquid par-. ticles are separated from the air by centrifu gal force and settle out in said dead air pockets, said inlet 0 enings being positioned adjacent that side of the pockets 'rst reached by the air in its-rotary movement, said pockets having a length greater than the length of the chamber.

7. In an air cleaner,'a chamber having an air inlet and outlt, meansfor causing the air to rapidly rotate within said chamber, a

dead air pocket arranged beyond the outer wall of said chamber, said pocket having an inlet passage leading from said chamber and extending approximately the full length of the wall between the chamber and the pocket, the passage being positioned in the chamber wall adjacent the front wall of the pocket when referred to the direction of air rota- 9. In an air cleaner, a chamber having an air inlet and outlet, means for rapidl rotating the air within said chamber, a ead air pocket arrangedsubstantially beyond the periphery of said chamber, said pocket having only one opening extending approximatelythe full len th of the, wall between the chamtion, said pocket having a length greater than the length of the chamber.

8. In an air cleaner, a chamber having an referred to the directionof air rotation, said pocket having a length greater than the length of the chamber. 

